The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The term “5th Amendment” refers to the more well-known aspect of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that no one can be forced to testify against himself in court. The 5th Amendment also ensures that no one can be tried a second time for a crime of which they were already acquitted. This is referred to as […]
Read moreThe term “addendum” is used to describe anything that is added to a document. In terms of the law, an addendum can be additional terms added to a contract that were left out when the contract was initially drafted. Addendums can also be used to correct a mistake, or to add terms to something, as in a lease. To explore […]
Read moreThe term de facto translates to mean “in fact.” In the world of law, if something is de facto, that means it exists in fact, even if not legally recognized. For example, de facto corporations may have failed to file all of the necessary paperwork to be legally recognized as corporations, yet have behaved in such a way as to […]
Read moreThe term “rescind” is used to describe the act of canceling a contract that had been previously agreed to. In contract law, this is referred to more fully as “rescission.” The purpose of a rescission is to start over with a clean slate, to allow the parties to return to the status quo that existed before the agreement was made. […]
Read moreThe term “inference” is used to describe the conclusion a person comes to after evaluating all of the evidence before him. In the legal sense, an inference is made after evidence is presented that proves a “fact” to be true. Another term for an inference is “deductive reasoning.” To explore this concept, consider the following inference definition. Definition of Inference […]
Read moreThe Latin term sui juris, which can also be written as “sui iuris,” is translated to mean “of one’s own right.” It is used to describe a person who is not under any legal disability, or subject to the authority of another person. He is fully capable of managing his own affairs and can act on his own behalf. The […]
Read moreThe Latin term sine die translates as “without fixing a day [for future action].” When an adjournment is granted sine die in a court of law, this means that the court has neglected to assign a specific date for another conference or hearing in the future. To adjourn a matter sine die means to adjourn it for an indefinite period […]
Read moreThe term “seisin” refers to the legal possession of land. A person holding an estate in seisin is said to be “seized of it.” This means that he alone owns all of the land. The term “seisin” comes from the European Feudal era, and it was used as a way to specify who has taken over a plot of land […]
Read moreThe term seriatim can be literally translated from Latin to mean “one after another,” like in a series. For example, seriatim can be used to refer to the manner in which certain issues or facts are discussed. This means that the facts or issues are discussed individually and in order, taking one fact or issue into account at a time. […]
Read moreThe War Powers Act, also referred to as the “War Powers Resolution,” or the “War Powers Resolution of 1973,” is a federal law that governs the president’s power to bring the U.S. into an armed conflict without first obtaining authorization from Congress. The President can make the executive decision to engage the military without Congress’ consent in situations authorized by […]
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